News

Liverpool Business District Masterplan

1st Nov 2019

A new masterplan that could see up to 2m sq ft of new office space created in Liverpool’s commercial district has secured the approval of the city council cabinet.

Councillors have now formally endorsed a Spatial Regeneration Framework (SRF) which aims to transform the district, to further bolster the city’s grade A office space, over the next 15 years.

The Commercial Business District SRF has identified 12 sites as areas for potential expansion in a bid to address the district’s falling supply of grade A office space and enable Liverpool to compete with other UK cities in attracting major companies.

The document was developed by Arup as project lead and town planning consultants, architects and masterplanners shedkm, heritage consultant Rob Burns, and property consultant Worthington Owen and went out to public consultation in the summer.

Liverpool BID Company, which represents more than 800 businesses in the central business district, is fully behind the plan and jointly commissioned the SRF s along with the council. BID chief executive Bill Addy said: “It is fantastic to see further progress being made.

“AS OUR CITY REGION’S COMMERCIAL EPICENTRE, THE SRF IS ESSENTIAL IF WE ARE TO COMPETE WITH OTHER BUSINESS DISTRICTS NOT JUST IN THIS COUNTRY BUT AROUND THE WORLD. ENGAGEMENT DURING THE PUBLIC CONSULTATION PERIOD WAS VERY ENCOURAGING, AND IT WAS MADE CLEAR BY THE BUSINESS COMMUNITY THAT A NEW MASTERPLAN FOR THE AREA IS NEEDED.”

Liverpool City Council is already involved in a £200m scheme in Pall Mall, with Kier Property and CTP, and has secured planning consent for around 112,000 sq ft of office space in the first phase, along with a new hotel. However, despite reporting “strong interest” from potential occupiers funding for the scheme has yet to be confirmed.

The city council, together with the Liverpool BID Company, and other public and private sector partners, jointly commissioned the SRF with a brief to enhance the vibrancy and attractiveness of the business district.